| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 01-23-2012 |
The Prince Fielder chase continues on, but it appears there is a need to summarize what's happening right now.
Here is what I have:
As I tweeted last a few days ago, a source told me that the Washington Nationals' interest in Fielder -- or at last their reported interest -- is overblown. We read that report on the Seattle Mariners a few weeks back when an agent told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the M's only had $3-4 million dollars to spend the rest of the winter.
I didn't buy, not for one second, that the M's simply didn't have the money to sign Fielder, or weren't willing to make a competitive offer, so I dismissed that report without thinking twice. I still believe that.
With the Nationals, it's a different situation. They already have Jayson Werth on the roster -- an immovable contract at that -- making $116 million over the next six seasons, as well as guaranteed money to Mike Morse ($10.5 million over the next two) and Adam LaRoche ($9 million including the buyout of his 2013 option).
LaRoche has to play first -- or DH, which the Nationals do not have at their disposal. Morse has experience at several positions, but is well below average at all of them except the infield corners. The Nats have the money, but are they willing to use Morse in left field everyday and eat a large chunk of salary to move LaRoche so they can hand Fielder $150-200 million?
I am not sure. Maybe they are, but the above factors make the "overblown" interest a little more believable.
We know the Texas Rangers are interested. That is a fact, the club's top representatives have said as much. The source I spoke to said the race was down to two American League teams, Texas and one other.
There have been reports today that the Baltimore Orioles' front office and manager Buck Showalter, who have been mentioned over the offseason as a possible suitor for Fielder, have asked the ownership for the money to sign Fielder.
Whether Fielder would sign in Baltimore is another story -- I don't believe he would barring a gross over payment in the Albert Pujols range -- but the idea that Showalter and GM Dan Duquette have asked for the finances means they don't have those available monies, and until they do cannot be considered "in" on Fielder.
Maybe they get the go-ahead, at which time we start talking about why Fielder would want to go to a team with almost zero starting pitching and more questions all over the organization than answers.
When it comes to Seattle, from Fielder's perspective, we have to consider not just money, but the chance to win, the chance to stay a contender annually, and the city and team itself.
Fielder has visited Washington, he's been to Arlington to talk to the Rangers. As far as we know, he hasn't been to Seattle to talk with the Mariners. I stress the "as far as we know" part because it's possible he's been here to check things out and neither agent nor club leaked it to the media. The Mariners are very tight-lipped about their business, a lesson we all learned with the Danny Hultzen selection in the draft last June. Nobody knew.
The wildcard here is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who could be sold officially sometime soon and make a big splash by signing Fielder. I have no idea -- and neither does anyone else -- what the new ownership might want to do or what kinds of plans they may have. Scott Boras is certainly going to use that situation in his favor, however.
The Rangers, Nationals, Mariners, even the Orioles, could probably make the Dodgers scenario moot by offering $200-plus million over eight years, and giving Boras a deadline to accept it.
Why not Seattle? This is Jack Zduriencik's chance to add a star bat to a young lineup that will already include Jesus Montero and Dustin Ackley, and has pitching depth. We can talk all day about whether Fielder will be worth the contract -- he won't, unless winning the division and playing in October is worth tens of millions of dollars to the team. Oh, wait, it is.
Get Fielder to Seattle, show him why the city is great, show him why the team is being built properly and for the long haul, but also show him two other very important things: That 2012 is NOT a throw-away season if he's in uniform, and, of course, show him the money.
This may be Seattle's last chance to add such a free agent hitter in some time, as most of the future free agent bats are expected to, or already have, signed long-term deals, and even if they reach free agency in two or three years the M's may have to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for their services.
How Fielder impacts the starting rotation
The Seattle Mariners, after bringing in Kevin Millwood on a minor league deal, have a projected rotation of Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, Millwood, Hisashi Iwakuma and Hector Noesi, with Blake Beavan and Charlie Furbush in the wings.
The addition of Millwood allows the Seattle Mariners, who, as of right now, are not going to contend in 2012, to stave off the big-league arrivals of both Hultzen and James Paxton.
Their arbitration clocks won't start and their workloads can be managed much more efficiently in the minors.
If Fielder were to sign with the M's, however, that changes, in my opinion. At that point it's all about winning, and as long as the player's health isn't in jeopardy and as long as the club feels they will contribute to the team's success without hindering their long-term value, both arms are back in play early in '12, and for Hultzen potentially right out of spring training.
Hultzen may not be out of the conversation either way, but with Prince in the lineup, he's much more likely to get a legit shot.
That creates a scenario where the M's have an extra starting pitcher, even if you consider Furbush a reliever -- I do. Having an extra arm is never bad.
notebook:-fielder-and-the-rotation
Comments
The following 37 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: Jazz00 on 01-23-2012 18:39:52 Jason, I must say your analysis is truly what I've been hoping the M's do. They are in my opinion on the verge of getting to the next level competitively and signing the Prince would show these other teams that the days of looking down on the Mariners are truly numbered. What's been holding me back (till your post) is that the Mariner's are so tight lipped when it comes to negotiations that you can't gauge if they are really still in the hunt or have given up. It would be nice to know what they've offered as a contract to Prince Fielder. I've been pissed off each time the east coast writers have claimed that we have no chance at Fielder, when in reality they want the Prince signed by their favorite time so their trying to influence Boras into going their way. |
| 2. By: KingFelix on 01-23-2012 18:42:40 Jason, I would love to see Prince signed and I agree there are no other big bats left via FA this offseason and in 2013 that will come to the Mariners, but I think the Mariner brass are trying to get Jack to convince the fan base we are going in the right direction with our young players. In the meantime we will keep or 2012 payroll around the 81M spent to date and next year they are only on the hook for around 46.5M. This is the time to invest in the future and get a big bat like Prince in here to help the young bats develop, but I just do not see it happening. |
| 3. By: Edman on 01-23-2012 18:53:37 One minor thing I've noticed is that the M's have signed a couple of players to minor league contracts that are Boras clients, which indicates that Jack is talking to him. As far as what we've read, Seattle is the only team that has offered Prince a contract. I agree with Jazz00, the way Jack runs his group, it's hard to know what's going on. Many front offices like to leak stuff because it creates a furvor about the team. Personally, I like Jack's style, from a team prospective. Let other teams guess what you're going to do. Yes, it's not much fun around the old hot stove, but they really do a great job of keeping their plans secret. Back to Fielder, I think that many in the baseball world are counting Seattle out, because they don't hear about what they're doing, so they assume they're doing nothing. Baltimore doesn't present any near-term possibilities to reach the playoffs. They have a few hitters, but right now, their pitching is a mess. With Fielder, Seattle becomes at least a spoiler for this season. With the talented bats like Montero and Ackley, and the developing bats of Carp, Smoak, Wells, Seager, etc., things aren't really that bleek. Certainly Boras and Prince can see that. It's going to be a young, cost controlled lineup that can build around him as he provides an anchor. I don't at all count Seattle out, just very tight-lipped. Last thing he wants is to get in a bidding war. Texas likes the spotlight, even if they aren't going to sign him. Washington is in the same boat, they want to be talked about. It's still a longshot that Prince ends up in Seattle, but I don't think that they are far from the 50%. |
| 4. By: Edman on 01-23-2012 18:58:48 King Felix, signing Fielder would still indicate that Seattle is concentrating on their young players. Signing him is fundimental to that process, injecting a proven bat, that is still relatively young doesn't change that philosophy. |
| 5. By: Lamda on 01-23-2012 19:08:23 It would be geat to have Fielder on the team. If he doesn't sign with us - then lets hope its atleast with a NL team and especially not Texas. |
| 6. By: jgstecker on 01-23-2012 19:14:35 I agree with your analysis of Fielder's market. It just makes sense. I've maintained all along that Seattle will offer the most money. Right now it's just about Boras squeezing every penny out of them, because every penny will count when he comes up very short of what Prince may have been hoping for. Of course, Boras could pull off something creative in Texas. I wouldnt say it's likely, but I wouldn't put it past him. The problem is, Texas (or anyone else really) doesn't have enough budget room to front load a deal with an opt-out. Ultimately, I don't think Fielder can turn down the most guaranteed money. |
| 7. By: KingFelix on 01-23-2012 19:27:21 Edman, I agree that it would be smart to sign Fielder to help the development of our young bats, but I just do not think ownership will spend the cash. I hope I am wrong. |
| 8. By: titans12 on 01-23-2012 19:52:29 If we signed Prince would we trade Smoak for a LF? I think you could get good player for him although it wouldn't be the best time to trade him. |
| 9. By: rocketdawg31 on 01-23-2012 19:55:55 Most of you guys who've seen my posts know how "anti-Prince-signing-with-the-M's" I've been from Day One of the off-season. But something said in this piece gave me pause. And it's making me reconsider my position. This may be Seattle's last chance to add such a free agent hitter in some time, as most of the future free agent bats are expected to, or already have, signed long-term deals, and even if they reach free agency in two or three years, the M's may have to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for their services. I hadn't really thought about THAT perspective- I kind of operated under the idea that after next season some elite dude would be available through either FA or trade, and we'd be in a solid position to spend on talent. It never occurred to me that not only could hitting talent not be there...but even if it is, you're going against most or all of the other major wallets for it- in all likelihood. In my heart of hearts, the best possible scenario is for the Mariners to develop the likes of: (I know we all know the names) Catricala, Robinson, Martinez, Franklin et al...and just go with our own young talent- and they turn out great or very useful. Maybe pray for one or more of a Guillermo Pimentel, a Phillips Castillo or a Martin Peguero to go ballistic and be ready for very high levels of baseball at a tender age- i.e. very soon. But I can't escape one thought: If elite- I mean truly elite hitting talent existed in the organization where it could feasibly be ready for us in the next year or two? If THAT were the case, Zduriencik might not have been so compelled to get Montero NOW...and sacrifice Pineda in doing so. As it was, both Zduriencik and Cashman needed what they got, and they both knew it. And maybe that all adds up to: We need Fielder. Wow. Said it. But if we signed him, I promise I'd be holding my breath for the duration of his time as a Mariner. Nobody in their right mind can deny how good Prince Fielder is RIGHT NOW- and probably still will be for at least a couple seasons- with a bat in his hands, though. I dunno. I have real conflicted thoughts on this. It's weird how such a talent can be a basis for such a raging dichotomy of opinion. But I can tell ya this....I wish it would just be over with, one way or the other. Real soon. |
| 10. By: binghaar on 01-23-2012 20:05:59 I love the idea of signing Fielder, and the quote from Jack Z. today that Montero will get every opportunity to catch does nothing to dispel the idea that Prince is still a possibility for the M's. A potential M's lineup that includes Smoak, Fielder, and Montero is much more potent than one that includes Olivo/Jaso on a regular basis. My concern, though, is about defense. This is a team that has been built mainly on pitching and defense. The trade of Pineda for Montero was, as Jack said today, a move to add some balance to the ballclub--essentially dealing from our position of strength in pitching for an upgrade of our weakness in hitting. But, if we sign Fielder to play 1B, not DH (which is what I've seen rumored, perhaps because Prince wants to play in the field and not just be a bat?), then we've potentially downgraded defensively at two different positions. We'll still theoretically be strong at shortstop and CF. But after that, we're average at best across the rest of the diamond, as long as you buy into the idea that Ichiro is really declining in RF (and after watching last year, I've never seen him look as clueless as he did on some plays--it was truly baffling). He may still be league average, but his days as a Gold Glover appear to be in the past. Seager is not a natural 3B, Ackley is still improving at 2B and may be league average defensively, but probably no better, Fielder is average at 1B, Carp is below average in LF and his potential platoon buddy Wells is somewhere in the vicinity of average as well, and Montero is, even by the most optimistic evaluations, below average behind the dish. What this all adds up to is an average defense. Not a weakness, mind you, but not what we've fielded in the last few years. And it probably shouldn't be overlooked as we look at additions and subtractions and try to add up how many wins we're going to gain. Don't get me wrong, I still want to sign Prince, but we need to know what we're looking at defensively too, right? Jason, thoughts? |
| 11. By: rotoenquire on 01-23-2012 20:32:51 I would love to see Fielder a Mariner. With the young talent the M's have now and what will be up with the club in the next of couple years.. WOW SIGH: But, I do not see it from his(Fielder's) perspective. To win now and too stay close to home the M's don't fit. If it were 2 years from now then they would be a solid fit. With advocating Ackley to CF and putting Seagar back at 2B. And with the 2013 F/A class could be an interesting lineup. In the M's price range. CF D. Ackley 2B K. Seagar C J. Montero 1B J. Smoak LF B.J. Upton F/A SS N. Franklin 3B Catricala DH M. Carp RF Melky Cabrera F/A Reason for Upton and Cabrera is age they will be under 30 in 2013 and experience, fielding and HR to SB dual threats. Guity, Ichiro, Vargas, League all coming of the books and If the M's can Trade Figgins eating half his contract. That would yield about 37 Mil to go shopping with. That also assumes Montero locks down the Catcher slot. If not move Carp out of DH and sign one of the better catchers behind the plate in Y. Molina from STL. Maybe 160-180 Hr's there and around 90 Sb's. Be a lot of action. No were near the 264 the M's hit in 97' but not bad.. |
| 12. By: valencia on 01-23-2012 20:34:38 How does Prince Fielder fit on this team? We have Smoak at 1B and Montero at C/DH. Even if you assume Montero plays 120 games at C (a very big assumption) he still needs anywhere from 20-40 games at DH he'll be taking from Smoak. If Montero's a 100 game DH however, we need to be discussing a trade for Smoak, since then Montero, Smoak, and Fielder all can't fit on the same team. Essentially you're making a $20M+ upgrade from Prince Fielder to Justin Smoak. It just doesn't seem worth it unless you can manage to swing Domonic Brown or another elite OF prospect for him, but I think his value is too low at this point for that. |
| 13. By: Gibbo on 01-23-2012 21:01:48 If we get Fielder I agree with #12, how does he fit. Obviously you make room for his bat, but then what do we do with Smoak? With Montero probably at C and DH playing likely more games at DH than C I dont see how you get enough bats for Smoak. But maybe somehow you could use Smoak and a couple of arms or AAA guys to get an upgrade or top prospect for 3B/LF. I actually have high hopes for Smoak so wont be upset if we dont get Fielder. I really like his switch bat fitting in with Fielder and Montero. I just dont see how we can get them enough AB's. Unless Smoak or Montero could play LF - I dont see that as realistic though. Its funny how we all panic about paying Prince $25M but we have been paying to slap hitteres in Figgins and Ichiro a combined $26M per year for the last few years. I am happy if we get him as long as we dont go longer than 6/7 years. In 6/7 years a lot of our talent will be nearing FA so we will want some money for them too. But for the next 4 years we will have a reasonably cheap core. |
| 14. By: KingFelix on 01-23-2012 21:12:10 Roto, Your plan sounds great, but Justin Upton is not a FA until 2016. Sign Prince. |
| 15. By: bobbysee1 on 01-23-2012 21:14:27 Great point Gibbo on paying the slap hitters 26M! In regard to that it makes sense to sign The Prince. |
| 16. By: aerichner on 01-23-2012 21:29:33 King Felix, It clearly says BJ Upton. Not sure how much Id pay for BJ Upton in FA. Some sexy tools but he either lacks passion for the game or just thinks he's too naturally gifted to work to get better. Talented but bad attitude. Would I like him? Sure, but I dont love him. |
| 17. By: Rudolf on 01-23-2012 21:31:10 @ 14, I'm not Roto, but I think he was suggesting BJ Upton, not Justin. I agree with posts #12 & 13. Smoak ends up the odd man out. Even without signing Prince, Smoak may be displaced at first if Montero proves to be the superior player and incapable of catching. How can you put Montero at DH without trying him elsewhere beforehand? I'm sure Jack would get super creative if we added Fielder to the fold. Valencia outlines the situation pretty darn well. |
| 18. By: KingFelix on 01-23-2012 21:33:58 Sorry, I saw LF. Why would we sign BJ to play LF with his bat? |
| 19. By: Rampageoholics on 01-23-2012 21:34:26 Listening to JZ on 710, he said there were 4 young hitters he was looking at acquiring. Anyone want to guess the other three? I'm going with Stanton, Heyward, and Harper. |
| 20. By: Ianyo on 01-23-2012 21:37:53 OK, forgive me if I sound dumb. The Ackley to CF got me thinking bout Seager. I was looking at his minor league numbers and he's much better than I remembered. He's never played in the outfield. Now, I don't know enough about scouting to know and I understand learning LF at the major league level has to be a challenge. But, is it at all possible? He'd be a solid bat to replace ichiro in right or play left when Ichiro is gone with Wells sliding over. I'd hate to see a hitter with that patience and eye to be put at 3B where Martinez could possibly be slotted down the line. Sorry, I'm thinking out loud. What do you guys see as his future? |
| 21. By: nwmsfan on 01-23-2012 22:18:11 I dont think we would have any chance of stanton or harper for pineda they would cost felix. I've liked the M's chances more than most for Prince and Seattle is in the best position to throw the most money and be able to absorb that contract. I just don't get why it's such a stretch to convince him we're not that far away from contention- Legit ace, a loaded system and a young middle of the order that will be dangerous. Sure our offense sucked last year but our offense doesn't have to be great and the changes this winter with Prince will certainly bring it back to respectable. I wonder if Prince remembers the convo they had in milwaukee where jack z said he could build a winner around him. Totally guessing they had a convo but don't you think Jack made good on that? Most money and a trusted path to winning sounds like a pretty good fit to me. So he has to fly 5 hours instead of 3 big deal. |
| 22. By: greentunic on 01-23-2012 23:34:35 Rampageoholics, Fun question to play with. I think you may be right. Other options may include J Upton, Posey, McCutchen, Trout (that would be crazy). J Upton and Trout would have gotten my attention, but the only guy I may have preferred to Monterro would be Stanton, and Monterro may even have him covered in my mind. While Stanton and Harper and maybe J Upton have better power tools, no single prospect (or 2011 rookie) seems to have the hitting AND power tools he has. |
| 23. By: pwhit44 on 01-24-2012 00:00:14 Harper, Stanton, Trout. I think you exclude Upton due to service time. |
| 24. By: rotoenquire on 01-24-2012 00:48:39 My thinking with Ackley to CF has several reasons behind it. #1 His strong arm and range translates well. #2 He has so much talent he can learn the position, he learn 2B. #3 Yount did it. #3 Seagar is better as a second basemen defensively and his numbers translate better there on offense. YES! B.J. Upton his batting average blows I know. But, his HR's, SB's and that fact he drives in runs more than makes up for it. I also like the idea of S. Kelley closing. As he appeared at the end of last year having a 1-2-3 Ninth. He has the tools the makeup and injury now in the past. He could be a viable option if League still gets dealt. As for the 4 hitters JZ was talking about. Harper would have to be on the list you would think. But I highly duobt there would have been more than a "Hey, you want Pineda for Harper.. Click dial tone.. ooh guess not." Kinda discussion. M. Stanton, I. Davis, P. Sandoval, E. Andrus would be my 4. A. McCutchen #5. Could you imagine if we had gotten Panda I would have been on cloud nine. I have a man crush there... |
| 25. By: mazono on 01-24-2012 00:56:56 BJ upton Rh pull hitter in safeco yuck! as for the young hitters Heyward, D-brown and Stanton |
| 26. By: greentunic on 01-24-2012 00:57:39 I don't think Ackley has a strong arm. In fact that is easily the weakest of all of his tools. I remember scouts saying his arm for the outfield is "well below average." He never had much arm strength after is Tommy John surgery when he was in school. |
| 27. By: jgstecker on 01-24-2012 07:37:37 Roto- Money is the reason Prince will cme to Seattle. Seattle may very well be on a position to offer him considerably more money than anyone else. Money is not the only reason though. Prince is a lot more familiar with Zdurenciek and his operating style than we are. It's not at all difficult to imagine Prince seeing Seattle as an emerging franchise based on his personal experience with Jack and What Jack helped to build in Milwaukee. Valencia- With Fielder on board, there is nothing pressing that needs to be done with Smoak. If the club is really committed to Montero at catcher, there is still going to be 500+ ABs for Smoak to reestablish his value. |
| 28. By: micahjr on 01-24-2012 08:30:42 I'm going to be alone in this group on one part of what I'm going to say, but at least I have support for the other parts. BJ Upton and Melky Cabrera, Roto? Are you out of your mind? Along with that you advocate two position switches? I'll say that this line-up is the one that I think will happen next year: C/DH: Jesus Montero 1B/DH: Justin Smoak 1B/DH: Prince Fielder 2B: Dustin Ackley SS: Brendan Ryan 3B/LF: Kyle Seager 3B/LF: Vinny Catricala CF: Franklin Gutierrez RF: Ichiro Suzuki I think Carp will be traded, and that Nick Franklin and Francisco Martinez will still be on the fringe. In 2014, we'll need a new CF if Guti isn't retained. That person is likely Trayvon Robinson, if we don't go outside the org. I know that people disagree on Ichiro, but consider this: if Ichiro rebounds this next year and hits close to 200 hits (say 197), he'll only need 375 hits for 3000. There is a distinct possibility that this is the only shot that the Mariners will ever get at having a member of the 3000 hit club (not counting Rickey Henderson), and certainly the only chance to have one that is with the team their entire career. I don't see Ackley staying, he's a Boras client. That has value. If Ichiro rebounds, I think the conversation about resigning him changes. I would give Ichiro a 3 year deal for 33 million +incentives, and if he wants to play still, I think he would take it. It may not even be an overpay. Ichiro has given a lot to this franchise, and I feel the most unique player I have ever seen play should get a chance to finish where he started on a team with the potential to win it all. |
| 29. By: micahjr on 01-24-2012 08:34:20 Wells will likely platoon in CF/LF. Forgot to put that in. |
| 30. By: Ianyo on 01-24-2012 09:03:38 Has anyone thought about the possibility of Montero being part of a larger package for a left-handed, slugging player with a defined position? I know its a long shot, but we know Jack said he liked four young hitters. Could one be the ultimate target or do we think Montero is here for the long haul? |
| 31. By: Madison Mariner on 01-24-2012 10:00:38 As to rotoenquire's plan in comment #11, specifically the comment: "Guity, Ichiro, Vargas, League all coming of the books" Well, that was where you initially went wrong. Franklin Gutierrez is still under contract for 2013(for 47 million)--he has an option for 2014 that--if declined by the Mariners--could make him a free agent. And Jason Vargas will likewise not be a free agent until after the 2013 season, either. He's arb-eligible one last time next offseason and will be a free agent *after* 2013. As of right now, Ichiro Suzuki and Brandon League will both be free agents after 2012. Miguel Olivo has an option for 2013 for $3 million, but Cot's doesn't list a buyout. He may be traded before then, too, for all any of us know. And one of our newest SP acquisitions, Hisashi Iwakuma, has a 1-year contract, but I'm not sure if he'll get the Ichiro/Hideki Matsui/Hiroki Kuroda treatment and be allowed to be a free agent at the termination of each contract, or if he'll get the Takashi Saito treatment and be contractually bound to the M's and then get arb-eligibility after 3 seasons? Who knows. As to the plan...yeah, I don't see a shift of Ackley to CF, really. He has the speed but not the arm. And while I think Seager is good at 2B, he's not good enough to displace Ackley at 2B into CF for the 2013 Seattle Mariners. I still love Seager as a platoon 3B, but long term, perhaps it might be best for the M's to seek out a trade partner--a team that could use a solid 2B with good contact and on-base skills and above average defense. I could see Ackley being a great young 2B for many teams(like the Padres, Dodgers, or Twins, all of whom need long-term solutions at 2B). It would suck to see him go, but I think he deserves a chance to start in the big leagues--he's good enough to do so. Just a thought. :) |
| 32. By: Madison Mariner on 01-24-2012 10:07:16 "I could see Ackley being a great young 2B for many teams(like the Padres, Dodgers, or Twins, all of whom need long-term solutions at 2B)." OK, was typing too quickly--I meant Seager, not Ackley. So, the above should read: "I could see Seager being a great young 2B for many teams(like the Padres, Dodgers, or Twins, all of whom need long-term solutions at 2B)." Sorry about that. ;) |
| 33. By: rjfrik on 01-24-2012 12:51:59 Nice article Jason, But as I chimed in a couple of weeks ago. My money is on Fielder ending up in Dodger Blue. The more this drags on the more I feel that is where he ends up. I know Boras is in his ear telling him to be patient and just wait for this sale to happen because if Prince is still on the market when it does he will be a Dodger. |
| 34. By: KingFelix on 01-24-2012 14:34:38 Now that Prince is a Tiger, what is plan B? We only have around 81M in payroll and I bet the owners are going to pocket the difference. Jack had better at the least try to trade Figgins for a bad one year deal so we can clear him off the books in 2012. I will hate to see the attendance figures in 2012. |
| 35. By: Edman on 01-24-2012 16:51:21 KingFelix, would you be happier if Seattle wasted money on a player or two, so that you'd feel better about them not pocketing any money? Sheesh |
| 36. By: Ianyo on 01-24-2012 17:25:35 I'm curious what they're planning to do in coming years as far as salaries go. Ichiro, Figgins, League and possibly Vargas could be gone to clear up a good amount of cap. I understand Felix will be making more the further into his deal. But, what are they going to do when they've got a low salary with limited spots and no real impact free agents at positions of need? Another thing...is the door closed on Hanley Ramirez now that he seems to be softening up on playing third? |
| 37. By: davelee99 on 01-24-2012 19:07:47 Edman, I would be happier if the Mariners had spent wisely when the free agent market had many more choices instead of standing around the Fielder opportunity with their thumbs in their mouth. Cameron nailed it (IMHO) with his closing comment on the Millwood deal, "Time to pull off another move that no one saw coming, Jack, because right now, this team isn’t going to win back enough fans to make the 2012 season a success." |
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